Not Applicable
Not Applicable
This invention relates in general to braces for human joint support, and in particular to an exteriorly positionable anatomical brace having cuffs situated about respective limb structures on either side of a uniting pivoting joint such as a knee joint where each cuff is retained in place by cuff retainers having externally accessible and quickly engageable and releasable connectors.
Both injury and disease can affect the health, well-being, and operability of various joints of the human body. Chief among such joints are the knee and elbow where disease such as osteo-arthritis can curtail normal activity or where an injury such as a sports-related abuse or impact can prevent or severely limit continued activity. One manner of protecting joints is to fit the wearer with an appropriate brace whereby a pivotal support member is positioned adjacent the affected joint and held in place usually by cuff members situated around limb structure sites above and below the supported joint. As is apparent, the cuff members are responsible for stabilizing the support member and therefore must be well secured to their associated limbs.
To accomplish such securement, present cuff members are typically provided with one or more straps that are tightened around each limb structure and retained by buckles, hook-and-loop connections, or the like. Each time a user places or removes the brace, such user must reach for, locate, and manipulate the retention straps in an effort to either properly tighten the cuff members or to remove them. When a brace is in place in association with the supported joint, the retention straps many times are situated in a difficult-to-reach location which many times is behind the cuff members. Such placement means that the user is subjected at best to difficult donning and removal of the brace, and at worst to an improperly placed retention strap which interferes with brace usefulness.
In view of these drawbacks, it is apparent that a need is present for an easily, and therefore effectively, positionable brace. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an exteriorly positionable anatomical brace having readily accessible quick connect and disconnect retention members that inherently position and maintain retention members advantageously.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a brace wherein required retention member tightness, once established, is replicated each time the brace is placed.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a brace wherein a resilient liner is disposed against interior walls of the brace for user comfort.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.
The present invention is an exteriorly positionable anatomical brace for protecting a uniting pivoting joint disposed between a first limb structure and a second limb structure of a living being. The brace comprises a first cuff partially encompassable about the first limb structure and a second cuff partially encompassable about the second limb structure with each cuff being a generally U-shape structure with two lateral arms for juxtapositioning with respective adjacent limb structure sites. A respective cuff retainer secures each cuff on each respective limb, and comprises opposing first and second limb wraps extending toward each other from each respective lateral arm for positioning around the limb. At least one of the two opposing limb wraps has a proximal portion provided with at least one externally accessible releasable connector for attaching the limb wrap to the respective lateral arm, and each limb wrap has a distal portion. These distal portions of the first and second wraps are interfacedly connected with each other with a tightenable interfacing retainer member. Finally, a pivotable brace joint member connects the first and second cuffs and is situated adjacent the pivoting joint to be protected. In this manner the maintenance of brace placement and effectiveness is achieved by providing cuff retainers that are connectable and disconnectable from the encompassing cuff without requiring assembly and disassembly of the cuff retainers themselves.